Yogi Bhajan's Teachings

Yogi Bhajan teaching at Women's Camp, 1988

One of the most striking things about Yogi Bhajan’s perspective on women is the place of respect and reverence he says is woman’s God-given right, and his insistence upon the nobility and invincibility of woman when she claims her rightful power and majesty as Shakti, the feminine aspect of God, the power through which creation was created.Sometimes newcomers to camp wonder how a man can know so much about women. For one thing, as a child, Yogi Bhajan had the unique experience of attending an all-girls Catholic school, as it was the only school available in the area of India where he grew up. Also, he never forgot the values his mother – a very powerful, righteous woman – taught him. But Yogi Bhajan’s understanding of women goes far beyond any male perspective. He never forgot that we are primarily souls, paying our karma and learning our lessons in the two different forms of women and men.

The Purpose of Women's Camp

"I designed this camp to give women a standard of security, grace, and purity of thought... It is not a yoga camp. It is not a meditation camp. It is a woman-in-training camp. It is totally to train the whole sum of the woman, not just one part of her...This camp is not designed to create yogis. Our purpose is that you should [learn to] confront the world as a saint, but live as a soldier in your readiness." -Yogi Bhajan, August 21, 1978

International Women's Camp History

Recognizing the need to educate women about women, Yogi Bhajan created a special summer intensive training program for women. The first Khalsa Women’s Training Camp (KWTC), the precursor and foundation to today’s IWC, was held in 1976 in Española, NM. Men’s courses were much shorter. Yogi Bhajan explained that women are far more complex (and powerful!) than men, so in the long run, men would benefit more if there was a greater focus on teaching women how to be radiant, strong, and effective. Camp ran for eight weeks and included everything from martial arts and marching, to music and meditation. Yogi Bhajan personally lectured and led Kundalini Yoga classes every day. He was determined to elevate and transform woman from “chick” to eagle, emphasizing the nobility, strength, and grace of women. Yogi Bhajan taught special meditations for women and shared ancient secrets on health and diet for women. He lectured on virtually every aspect of a woman’s life including love, romance (versus reality), marriage, and child raising, always building our self-esteem and reminding us of the divine nature of women.